On this day, thirty-nine years ago, the Turkish armed forces launched their second offensive against Cyprus, violating every regulation of international law, including the UN Charter, despite the ceasefire that had been agreed.
Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, and continued its offensive on August 14 of the same year, occupying the best part of Mesaoria, Famagusta, Karpasia and Morphou.
The Turkish side continues to disregard international calls on Cyprus and continues to hold the city of Famagusta hostage of its illegal military occupation. Dubbed a “ghost town”, Famagusta’s fenced off section – called Varosha – remains to this day deserted, abandoned to the elements.
Turkish troops invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, five days after the legal government of the late Archbishop Makarios III was toppled by a military coup, engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. Two unproductive conferences in Geneva followed; the first between Britain, Greece and Turkey and the second with the additional attendance of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives. Three weeks after a ceasefire was declared on July 22, and despite the fact that talks were still being held and just as an agreement seemed about to be reached, the Turkish army mounted a second full-scale offensive. As a result, Turkey increased its hold to include the booming tourist resort of Famagusta in the east and the rich citrus-growing area of Morphou in the west.
All in all, almost 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus came under Turkish military occupation. Nearly one third of the population, some 200,000 Greek Cypriots, were forcibly uprooted from their homes and properties, thousands were killed during the hostilities, over 1,000 persons were listed as missing while thousands of Greek Cypriots and Maronites remained enclaved.
Numerous UN resolutions have demanded respect to the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus, the return of the displaced to their homes, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island, but all resolutions have been ignored by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership.
Efforts over the years for the legitimate citizens of Famagusta to return to the city have met the refusal of the Turkish side. A new effort has been launched recently by President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, who submitted a proposal for the return of Famagusta and the use of its port by the Turkish Cypriots for exports to EU countries.
The President believes this would help build confidence, proving that the two communities on the island could coexist peacefully in conditions of prosperity and peace.
